Gunshot
by Mamono
Summary: Things were going so smoothly... then this happens. Everything falls apart with one single car drive. (SetoxTea - Character Death)


Author's Notes:  
  
Yet another challenge given to me. This time by Azurite! The rules:

(1) Seto's briefcase must play a paramount role in this fic  
(2) The contents of the briefcase must be revealed before the fic ends  
(3) The contents CANNOT be duel monsters cards, KaibaCorp paperwork, etc.   
  
And, if you really want a challenge (use one, some, or all):  
(4) The length can be drabble (100 words) to oneshot length (1000 - 10,000). No longer than that!  
(5) The fic should have hints of romance, if possible. Otherwise, comedy is preferred.  
(6) Someone other than Seto must open the briefcase somehow, and what they see is not what they expect. Their reaction is shocking (to the reader).  
(7) If you want an extra challenge, try to finish it in an hour or less.

So this story is pretty dark. I may expand on it sometime later, I don't know. Enjoy...

Put your finger on the trigger. "Give back the briefcase, Gardner." The tone in his voice was cruel, cold – demanding.

"No, I won't!" Her fingers grazed across the initials 'KC' as she pulled the dripping wet metal to her chest. "I won't let you do something that you'll later regret!"

"Regret?" It came out as a sarcastic bark. "The only thing that I'll regret is ever trusting you."

The words shot into her heart, burning as if he had actually pulled the trigger. She lowered her head, letting the rain drip off the tip of her nose. "I know you don't mean that," she said in a whisper.

"I won't say this again: Give back the briefcase." His navy blue eyes were narrowed, tainted with malice. Thunder rolled across the dark, cloud-covered sky. It was as if his emotions were taking for around him.

Téa tried to breathe, tried to calm herself, but it always caught in her throat, making her cough and gasp for breath. She looked up at him with pleading, tear-stained eyes. "He didn't mean it. Seto, it was an accident!"

"Accidents don't kill people." His words echoed through her mind, accompanied by the look on the paramedic's face when he declared two of her best friends dead.

"I know you're upset," the statement earned her a sarcastic snarl, "but after all that we've been through, how can you blame him? He's your friend!" She just had to get him to calm down before he . . . She stepped back slightly, her platform sandals were already caked in mud from her search.

Pull back the stop. "I have no friends, not anymore. Friendship is nothing but a ploy. You drop your defenses for one moment and it rips your life apart. I have no need to further ensnare myself in this wicked trap. And I don't care about what's _happened_ between us - it doesn't matter now that I've seen the truth. There's only one thing that matters to me now, and that is getting my revenge."

A flash of lightning illuminated the scene briefly before leaving the two former lovers in darkness. Every word that Seto Kaiba had spoken ripped through Téa's heart, leaving it tattered, but not broken. She knew how he was feeling, and she could understand it. She had been the object of his glares, his insults, his smiles, and his laughter. And yet, as she looked into his eyes, eyes that were full of bitter hatred, she could still see the good inside him, and she still loved him. She would not let him go through with this. Even if he never spoke to her again, she wouldn't allow him his revenge.

"You haven't seen the truth, far from it. Friendship isn't something that tries to hurt you. It helps you, and makes you do things like this." She started running from the scene; her feet splashed through the wet ground as she rounded a corner. Without even knowing it, she ended up at the cemetery. It was a dark, morbid place, and the storm only added to the effect.

A poorly placed stone caught on the girl's foot, causing her to topple forward. The briefcase hit the ground and busted open. All the papers that had been locked inside spilled out and scattered everywhere along with a slim piece of silver that went sliding into a rubber sneaker nearby. A scarred hand picked up the revolver and looked at it curiously.

"Joey?" Téa picked herself from off the ground and onto her knees. She got no response from him, instead just a clouded look from his sunburnt eyes.

Joey looked back to the grave in front of him, lost in his own world. _Yugi Motou._ He had killed his own best friend. It wasn't on purpose - he'd never! He thought he could impress everyone by showing them how fast he could drive, how quick he could turn . . . But he didn't see the other car around the corner . . .

And to make matters worse Mokuba was in the car with him. The kid didn't have a chance. Only he survived . . . only him. He had messed everything up. It was all his fault. Everything was **his **fault. He looked over to Téa sadly and Kaiba standing behind her. His face was flushed and his breathing was ragged.

Aim. Joey's eyes became wide as he put two and two together, and he looked down at the gun in his shaking hand. Did he deserve it? He had killed two of his best friends! Of course he did! He messed everything up! But . . . He didn't want to die . . . He was afraid. No, he was a coward. That's what he was.

"Here," he said blankly, tossing his life into the air. The silver revolver glided through the air, illuminated by the rain, and landed into Seto's hands. "Go for it."

All feeling left Téa's body as she watched Seto raise his arm and point the silver piece of death straight at Joey's heart. With one azure eye closed he carefully slid his index finger over the trigger. Joey stood there, ready to receive. She clutched her head, a fresh set of tears spilling out. He couldn't do this - he **couldn't**! "Don't!" she screamed with every fiber in her body.

Fire.


End file.
